1. Field of the Invention
The present invention related to the field of container closures. Particularly, the present invention relates to powder or liquid dispensing container closures.
2. Description of the Related Art
Containers are used to hold matter such as liquids and powders. Liquid containers generally include a container body and a cap. The liquid within the container is dispensed when the container is inverted while the cap is not in place. The amount of dispensed liquid is controlled by maneuvering the container between horizontal and vertical orientations. When an exact amount of liquid is desired, a measuring tool is generally employed because there is usually no reliable way of knowing how much liquid is being dispensed from the container. The measuring tool may include markings that are indicative of the level of liquids in the container. The measuring tool may also be of a known capacity such that the amount of liquid filled in the container, to capacity, is also known. To dispense the desired amount of liquid, the liquid is poured from the liquid container to the measuring tool. The liquid in the measuring tool can then be used for the desired purpose.
Powder containers generally include a container body and a top. The top sometimes includes several openings of varying dimensions, each having a separate closure. The size of the opening is generally used to control the rate of powder dispensing. The size of the opening generally does not control the total amount of powder dispensed. When an exact amount of powder is desired, a measuring tool is usually used. The measuring tool may be part of a set of measuring containers such as measuring spoons. To dispense the desired amount of powder, the powder is first poured into the measuring container.
As it may be appreciated from the description above, the process of dispensing a controlled amount of liquid or powder (herein after xe2x80x9cmatterxe2x80x9d) entails several drawbacks. First, the possibility of contaminating the surrounding area by the matter or contaminating the matter by the surrounding environment increases when two containers are used, one to store the matter and another to measure the amount of matter dispensed. Generally, transferring matter between containers is prone to accidents during the delivery such as spilling and spraying. The transfer of matter between two containers also increases the possibility of the matter being contaminated by dirt, dust, and other airborne contaminates. Second, there are often times when a measuring tool is not available so as to determine the exact amount of dispensed matter, during which the dispensing becomes guesswork. The measuring tool may be lost, damaged, or used by another party. Finally, because generally a single measuring tool is used to measure matter from a number of containers, the matter dispensed may be contaminated by matter that was previously measured by the same tool.
Prior efforts to provide integrated controlled dispensing for a container are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,917,129 to Cavazza (the ""129 patent), and U.S. Pat. No. 5,123,574 to Povlos (the ""574 patent). The ""129 patent discloses a metering cap for a bottle that employs a metering chamber in the center of the cap. The cap meters the content of the metering chamber when the bottle is inverted. A second inversion empties the chamber. The cap of the ""129 patent is limited in only providing the ability to measure a single quantity. Further, the cap of the ""129 patent would not operate as effectively when powder is dispensed because the powder may require more than a single inversion to fill the chamber. The ""574 patent discloses a dispenser that has a base with an opening that is controlled by a retaining tongue and a dispensing disk. The dispensing disk has an opening that is large enough to accommodate an opening in the base. A single shot such as a single pill may be dispensed by the dispenser. The dispenser of the ""574 patent is limited in its ability to controllably dispense either liquid or powder.
In accordance with the present invention, there is presented a container top that allows for the controlled dispensing of a desired quantity of matter from the container without using a measuring tool. The container top includes a median portion that has one or more chambers, which have proximal openings and distal openings defining a proximal end (end nearest to the jar) and a distal end (end furthest from the jar) of the median portion. The top includes a cap with a surface defining a proximal opening, with at least one opening of the cap or median portion being movable relative to each other The opening in the cap helps select and control the flow of matter through the proximal openings of the chambers of the median portion. A distal disc is optionally interposed between the cap and the median portion to help seal that flow area and the relatively rotating portions. The top includes a second disc, rotatably coupled to the distal end of the median portion, the disc including at least one opening. The second disc controls the flow of matter through the distal openings of the chambers of the median portion.
In another embodiment, there is provided a method of extracting a predetermined amount of matter from a container. The container has a plurality of chambers that are arranged as a median element, a proximal control element, controlling a proximal end of the plurality of chambers, and a distal control element, controlling a distal end of the plurality of chambers. The method includes manipulating the median element to allow passage of matter through the proximal end of a chamber of the median element. The method then provides for inverting the container whereby matter flows into the chamber through the proximal end of the chamber. When the chamber is filled to capacity, the user manipulates the median element, while the container is substantially inverted, to prevent any further passage of matter into the chamber. Finally, the user manipulates the distal control element to allow passage of matter through the distal end of the chamber.
The container top thus includes rotatable elements that are used to dispense matter from the container. The top has a drum with chambers of varying volumes, and a rotatable disc on opposing ends of the drum to allow material to flow into and out of selected chambers of the drum. A spout is rotatably connected to one end of the drum with one disc connected to rotate with the spout, and a cap is rotatably connected to an opposing end of the drum. The drum and spout are rotated to control the filling of the chambers and the emptying of selected chambers. Latches extend between the parts to hold them together while allowing the rotation. Resilient rings are interposed between the drum and mating parts to allow resilient sealing of the chambers during rotation.